Broccoli Slaw

I made this slaw to take to work with me for lunch. I halved the recipe since it was just for me, but below is the full recipe.

It was very tasty, and really brought back memories because of the ramen noodles! (I ate a lot of ramen in college. I think most people do?)

This is best day-of and next day. After that the noodles start to lose their crunch and it isn't quite as good.

Broccoli Slaw

(Paula Deen)

2 bags (3-ounce) Ramen Noodle Soup in Oriental (other flavors will work, too)
3/4 stick butter
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 bags (12-ounce) bags broccoli cole slaw (in the bagged salad section of the grocery store)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
Chopped green onions, for garnish

Dressing Mix:
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup brown or white sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 ramen noodle seasoning packet

Directions
- Put the ramen noodles in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin while melting butter in a large skillet over low/medium heat.

- Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and saute, stirring occasionally (keep temperature at low/medium heat).

- Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

- Place the shredded broccoli into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds, and sunflower seeds. - Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.

- Garnish with chopped green onions.

Grilled Baby Red Potatoes with Herbs

This is pretty simple, but so delicious....

Grilled Baby Red Potatoes with Herbs

(Mrs Sac's Purple Kitchen)

8 baby red potatoes, washed and cut into 1/4" to 1/2" slices

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tbsp coarsly chopped fresh parsley

Directions

- In a bowl, toss potatoes with olive oil, pepper, and garlic salt

- Spray a sheet of tin foil with olive oil or cooking spray, and spread the potatoes into thin layers (2-3 potatoes thick)

- Add any additional seasonings you enjoy, and fold up the tin foil, making a little packet on all sides

- Grill over medium heat, carefully flipping over once

- Cook for about 15-20 minutes

- Remove from grill and add fresh parsley before serving

"Primanti Bros" Style Cole Slaw

I found this copycat recipe in a file -- it's supposed to be a 'copycat' of the Pittsburgh restaurant Primanti Brothers cole slaw.

It's actually pretty close. I'd say cut back on the oil (it's a bit much) but otherwise, on a sandwich, it DEFINATELY tastes like primanti!

We served it on pulled pork this time -- very tasty!

(Sorry, no pictures..we gobbled it up!)


"Primanti Bros" Style Cole Slaw
(SomeOldCookbookICan'tRemember)

1 head green cabbage, shredded
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons oil (don't use olive oil...the flavor would be too strong)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
- Combine the shredded cabbage and onions in a bowl
- In a pot, dissolve the sugar into the vinegar and oil over low heat; add the salt and pepper and cool completely
- When cool, pour over the cabbage mixture and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving

Southwestern Potatoes

These were amazingly delicious! And so easy! We actually had them 3 times this week, we liked them so much LOL

They're definately being added to the "side dish" rotation, since I always have the ingredients on hand.

Southwestern Potatoes

(Delicious Meliscious)

package bacon bits (real ones not "bacon flavored") -- I omitted these

2 unpeeled large potatoes, scrubbed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup barbeque sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

1/2 cup sour cream (optional, for dipping) -- I omitted

Directions

- Line 2 large baking sheets with foil, and spray lightly with cooking spray (Melissa doesn't reccommend this, but the first time my potatoes stuck to the foil. the cooking spray helped)

- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Farenheit

- Cut potatoes into 1/4" slices

- Toss the potatoes, olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper in a large ziplock bag to coat the potatoes

- Arrange potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheets and bake until slightly browned (about 15-20 minutes)

- Brush with barbeque sauce, then top with the shredded cheddar cheese (and bacon bits if you use them)

- Bake until the cheese melts, about 3-5 minutes more

- Top or dip with sour cream if desired

Garlic Parmesean Roasted Potatoes

We definately struggle with side dishes in our household -- the same old sides just get boring!

I'm always looking for a new way to perk up an old favorite -- in this case, potatoes.

These are tasty, and SUPER simple to make for a weeknight meal -- that makes them woooooonderful!

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

(Picky Palate)

5 lb bag of potatoes (I used Idaho), washed and cut into 1" cubes

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

- Spread cubed potatoes on a large baking sheet and drizzle evenly with olive oil

- Sprinkle garlic salt, kosher salt, black pepper and parmesan cheese over the potatoes

- Using your hands, gently toss the ingredients together so the potatoes are well coated with olive oil and spices

- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender and golden brown

- Taste test, and add more seasoning if necessary.

Sweet Corn and Honey Muffins

Last "catch up" post from last week -- and this one will be posting while I'm on my way back to my hometown for the weekend!

No fancy stories, no funny quirks, just a darn good corn muffin recipe. Thank you, Food Blogga, for this deliciousness.

Sweet Corn and Honey Muffins

(Susan at Food Blogga)

Makes 12 regular-sized muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup medium coarse stone-ground cornmeal

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup buttermilk (I used a combo of regular milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup fresh corn kernels (I omitted -- fresh corn is becoming out of season here)

Directions

- Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees Farenheit

- Spray a 12-mold regular size muffin pan with cooking spray

- In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt

- In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, butter, buttermilk, eggs and honey

- Add to the flour mixture and stir quickly until well combined

- Fold in corn kernels

- Spoon the batter evenly into the 12 muffin tins

- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tops are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean

- Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing muffins from the tin and placing on the rack to cool (or just eat them after the 5 minutes -- like we did!!)

Patrice's Potatoes

I saw these on Your Home Based Mom and thought they looked tasty -- and they WERE!

Definately be making these again. This time, we served them with the PW's Crispy Yogurt Chicken.

Patrice's Potatoes

(Your Home Based Mom)

8-10 medium sized red potatoes, thinly sliced (I used organic idaho potatoes)

1/2 cube butter, melted (I had no idea what Leigh Anne meant -- she was kind enough to tell me a "cube" is a stick -- so this is 1/4 cup, or 1/2 a stick of butter)

1/4 C olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne powder

2 tsp mild chili powder

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions

- Mix above ingredients and toss with thin sliced potatoes.

- Place on a cookie sheet.

- Bake at 500 degrees for 7-10 minutes, then turn potatoes and bake another 7-10 minutes until desired crispness.

(Note: I had a few that didn't fit on my cookie sheet -- I tossed them in a skillet and browned them up that way. Both work!)

Biryani

This vegetable rice is almost slightly sweet, and DELICIOUS. It was the first time I'd cooked with basmati rice -- and I have some leftover, so I'll have to find more recipes to use it in!

I'm so glad I read about rinsing it before using it on Kristie's blog -- otherwise I may not have realized I had to!

Biryani (Vegetable Rice)

(Kristie's Kitchen)

2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)

1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice (red or yellow onion)

1/2 teaspoon cumin seed (I just used cumin powder)

1 tablespoon garlic
1 tomato, diced

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup peas

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced potato (I omitted)

1 cube chicken bouillon

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground red chile pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

4 cups water

2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and drained

DIRECTIONS

- Melt ghee in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.

- Add onion, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

- Stir Garam Masala; cook until the spices are fragrant, and the cumin seeds begin to pop, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup water.

- Bring to a simmer, and cook until the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

- Stir in peas, carrot, and potato.

- Season with chicken bouillon, salt, red chile, black pepper, and turmeric.

- Stir well, then cover, and cook for 3 minutes.
-Pour in 4 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat.

- Once boiling, stir in basmati rice, reduce heat to medium, recover, and simmer for 10 minutes. - Reduce heat to low and continue to cook until the rice has softened, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Corn Fritters

DH loves corn fritters. Personally, I'd never had or even heard of one until I met him -- and I am still kind of take-it-or-leave-it on them.

But, we had 4 ears of corn that needed to be used up, and DH was out fishing -- so I got creative with it.

I used the recipe on A Taste of Home Cooking's blog -- it seemed pretty standard, and the addition of a little heavy cream was sure to make it yummy!

All-in-all, these were good. I rebelled against the rules for frying, using Canola oil instead of a corn or vegetable oil, and DH said he could tell. He told me I need to use veggie or corn oil next time!

Farmstand Corn Fritters

(Makes 12 fritters)

1 1/2 lbs. fresh corn (2 large or 3-4 medium ears), husks and silks removed

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 tbsp. cornmeal

2 tbsp. heavy cream

1 small shallot, minced (I never keep shallot -- I used some regular onion)

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch of cayenne

1/2 cup corn or vegetable oil, as needed

Directions

-Cut kernels from 1-2 ears of corn (depending on size) and place in a large bowl (you should have about 1 cup of kernels)

- Grate the remaining ears of corn on the large holes on a box grater (you should have a generous 1/2 cup of grated kernels)

- Add the grated kernels to the bowl with the whole kernels

- Using a butter knife, scrape any remaining pulp from all ears of corn into the bowl

- Stir in the egg, flour, cornmeal, cream, shallot, salt and cayenne

- Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering

- Drop 6 heaping tablespoons of batter into the pan, and fry until golden brown (took me about 4-5 minutes per side)

- Transfer fritters to a plate lined with paper towels to drain

- If necessary, add more oil to the skillet and reheat; fry remaining batter

- Serve immediately

Mine look a little dark -- bad lighting!

"Daddy D's" Creamy Shells and Cheese

Well -- mine aren't shells, but they are creamy and cheesy! DH is always requesting a "creamier" mac and cheese when I make baked... so I thought this time I'd make stove-top style mac and cheese with a little velveeta to make it creamy.

I halved Katie's recipe, and still have enough macaroni and cheese to feed an army. The recipe below is what I made. If you feel a compelling urge to make 2 pounds of macaroni and cheese, you can double it (that's also the original recipe on Katie's blog).

DH said it was a little too "cheese" tasting. I'm really not sure what that means. Perhaps next time I'll use some velveeta to make it creamy, but I'll also include some "real" cheese to make it taste better.

"Daddy D's" Creamy Shells and Cheese

(Good Things Catered)

1 pound of shells (I used whatever I had on hand...and the name totally escapes me at the moment)

16 oz. block of Velveeta cheese

1/2 stick butter

3/4-1 cup milk (I used 1%)

1 tsp. garlic salt (I used powder)

ground black pepper

Directions

- In an extra large pot 3/4 full of boiling water and a pinch of kosher salt, cook the shells until just past al dente

- Meanwhile, chop the block of Velveeta and butter into 1 inch cubes

- When the pasta is done, drain, rinse, and toss with a bit of hot water, then put back into the pot

- Toss in velveeta, butter, and about 1/2 of the milk

- Gently fold in ingredients until beginning to melt and becoming creamy

- Add garlic salt, and as much ground pepper as you like

- Slowly add the remaining milk until desired texture is reached

-Serve and enjoy!

I served mine with open-faced turkey burgers and steamed broccoli.

Fiesta Rice

This rice dish looked like it was right up my alley -- unfortunately, I didn't particularly care for it.

I found it to be a little too spicy for my tastes (that could probably be remedied with a few ingredient changes, though!)

I may try it again...we'll see.

I served it as a side to some ground-turkey-taco's. THOSE were delicious! :-)

Fiesta Rice

(Misadventures with Tori)

*Warning: This recipe makes A LOT of rice -- Tori says 8 cups prepared -- so if you don't want leftovers, or aren't sure...I highly reccomend making half.

*Warning #2: Tori also says it took her forever to get her rice cooked. As I was short on time, I cooked up some quick-cooking (<10>

2 teaspoons olive oil (I omitted)

1 (10 oz.) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed (I omitted because of DH's aversion to corn as a filler in recipes)

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup chopped green onions

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice (I used half white and half brown quick-cooking rice)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

dash of salt

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained (I couldn't find that size, so I used 1.5 10 oz. cans)

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed (Tori recommends -- even if you halve the recipe -- keep the entire can of black beans. I agree!)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions

- Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat

- Add corn to the pan, cook 10 minutes, or until corn starts to brown, stirring occassionally

- Remove from pan and set aside

- Melt butter in the pan, add onions and saute for 5 minutes or until tender

- Stir in rice, cumin, and garlic; cook 1 minute

- Add chicken broth, black pepper, salt, and diced tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil

- Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occassionally

- Remove from heat, stir in reserved corn and the black beans

- Cover and let stand 10 minutes

- Stir in cilantro and lime juice

Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin

I got this recipe from Better Than Takeout -- and since our local Farmer's Market has had some really nice cauliflower lately, figured we'd give it a try.

It really is a tasty dish, I just think the cheese I used didn't have enough bold flavor. Better Than Takeout reccommends Gruyere, or White Cheddar and Mozzarella. I used a mexican blend and a little mozzerella, and the cheeses just didn't have enough sharp flavor. I'll definately try it again with a bolder cheese!

Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin

(Better Than Takeout)

1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1.5%)

1 bay leaf

1 clove garlic, split (I only had pre-minced on hand, I used that)

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1/2 cup grated cheese (recipe originally asks for Gruyere)

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. cauliflower florettes

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

2-3 tbsp grated parmesean cheese

Directions

- Bring the milk to a summer in a saucepan with the bay leaf and garlic. Cover, turn off the heat, and let infuse for approximately 10-15 minutes.

- Melt butter in a saucepan (make sure you use a good sized one so you can mix in the milk, and then the cauliflower!)

- Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute to remove the raw flour taste

- Gradually whisk in the milk (I removed the bay leaf at this point)

- Cook, stirring, until thick

- Stir in the cheese, and season with salt and pepper

- Set aside

- Heat the oven to 425 degrees F

- Bring a large potof water to a boil, salt it (as for pasta), and blanch the cauliflower florets until just shy of being tender (about 5 minutes)

- Drain well and pat dry with a tea towel

- Season with salt and pepper

- Toss with the sauce and dump into a gratin dish (I just used a round Corningware baking dish because I didn't have a "gratin dish")

- Scatter breadcrumbs and parmesean over the top and bake until bubbling and lightly browned (approximately 15-20 minutes for me)

Mexican Sour Cream Rice

I saw this recipe at Brooke's website -- and I actually browsed on by. It had corn in it, and DH has an aversion to corn as a "filler" in foods.


But when we decided to make Tortilla Crusted Fish -- well, I wanted that sour cream-y rice! So I caved, and left the corn out.

Original recipe below. I thought it was only so-so (it bugged me that I could tell the chiles were canned), but DH said it's the best rice he's ever eaten, and he wants it again, immediately.



Mexican Sour Cream Rice
(Brooke's Blog)

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice ( I used a mix of white and brown rice)
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided (I used a Mexican Blend because I had it on hand)
1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (I omitted)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (I used about 1/8 cup...DH was leery of it)
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions
- In a large pot, bring the rice and chicken broth to a boil -- reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F -- lightly grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish
- In the pot with the cooked rice, mix the sour cream, green chile peppers, 1/2 cup cheese, corn, and cilantro -- season with salt and pepper
- Transfer to the prepared casserole dish and top with remaining cheese
- Bake uncovered 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned

I served it with broccoli and the tortilla-crusted fish

Mom's Baked Beans (Two Ways)

Baked beans can sometimes be like macaroni and cheese -- everyone's got a different recipe, and everyone likes theirs best!

This is the baked bean recipe I grew up on -- my mom, and my grandma, both made these beans and I adore them. I tend to turn my nose up at other varieties -- these are the best! (IMO)

We usually served these beans as one of our many sides at 4th of July picnics, Memorial Day get-togethers, and every other excuse we could find to bring family members together to eat during the summer. Since I now live far away from my family, I made these this week to reminisce -- it just wasn't the same without the countryside and family around!

These beans are described as "two ways" because you can cook them two different ways, depending on your preference, time, etc.

Both are explained below.

Mom's Baked Beans

(Serves approximately 4-6 people -- depending on how hungry you are!!)

2 (16-oz) cans of baked beans (We always used Campbells Pork & Beans for this -- it's a nice starter and saves a lot of time. I don't believe they come in 16 oz. cans anymore -- just make sure you're close to 32 oz.)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp dry mustard (or 1 tsp. regular or brown mustard)

1/2 cup ketchup

4-8 (depending on how much you like) slices of bacon, cut into small pieces (I reccommend frying off the bacon in advance -- gives nice flavor when it's pre-cooked!)

1/2 cup chopped onion

Directions

- Mix all ingredients together, then choose your cooking preference:

Way #1

- Mix all ingredients together in a large pan, heat over medium-low heat for 45 minutes, or until onions are tender

Way #2

- Bake for 1 hour, uncovered, at 350 degrees. Stir the mixture 1/2 hour into baking.